The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Wilson Elem School
Wilson Elem School serves early elementary grades in Chicago Heights, a mixed-use industrial suburb about a half-hour south of Chicago. The school enrolls a small group of students across pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, with a student body that is roughly split between Black and Hispanic students. The neighborhood where Wilson sits is characterized by vintage ranch-style homes, Cape Cods, bungalows, and split-levels in established residential areas, with car-dependent infrastructure centered on major roads like Route 30 and Route 1.
The most recent state testing data available shows mixed results across grades. In third-grade math, roughly three-quarters of students demonstrated proficiency. By fourth grade, that proportion dropped sharply to roughly one-quarter of students, and by fifth grade, proficiency fell to a small fraction. In English language arts, third-graders performed stronger, with roughly four in five students proficient. Fourth and fifth graders showed lower performance, with roughly one-quarter and about one-third proficient respectively. Science testing, administered in fifth grade, showed that roughly one-fifth of students met proficiency. All students in tested grades participated in the state assessments. Reading across these results, proficiency is strongest at the youngest grade tested and declines significantly as students move through the upper elementary grades, particularly in mathematics.
The school's overall proficiency index, averaging performance across tested subjects and grades, places it below the midpoint when compared to other schools among the county's districts.
Chicago Heights School District 170, which operates Wilson, has invested significantly in its facilities and instructional approach. The district opened a new state-of-the-art middle school in 2020, located in Bloom Plaza adjacent to Bloom Township High School, which consolidated sixth through eighth graders into a single building funded through a federal construction bond. The district has also built out a district-wide Dual Language program using the Literacy Squared Spanish-English biliteracy model, with dedicated classrooms at multiple elementary schools and active bilingual teacher hiring through the 2024-2025 school year. For families whose children speak both Spanish and English, this pedagogical commitment shapes how students learn to read and write from the outset.
The district serves a student population that is roughly half Hispanic/Latino, reflecting Chicago Heights' broader demographics. Data on how many Wilson students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not available. Similarly, information on special education and English learner identification rates at the school, along with chronic absenteeism or discipline data, was not provided, so a parent may want to look into those details directly with the school if they are concerns.
Housing values in the 60411 zip code where Wilson is located are modest and have been relatively stable, with median home values in the lower range for the Chicago region. Rental costs have ticked upward. The local job market reflects the city's industrial heritage, with manufacturing, steel production, healthcare, and education as primary employment sectors. The city's population has been declining in recent years, and new residential development has been limited, though downtown infill projects including an affordable housing development for veterans have opened recently. Established neighborhoods around Wilson have seen little new housing activity, suggesting a relatively stable residential base.
A parent considering Wilson should understand that the school sits within a district making real commitments to bilingual instruction and serving a diverse early elementary population. The state assessment data points to a meaningful instructional challenge as students progress from third to fourth and fifth grade, particularly in math. Looking into the school's approach to addressing that transition, and asking specifically about literacy and numeracy support for students moving into upper elementary, would be worthwhile steps before enrolling.
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